Articulated tank locomotive



Dec. 24, 1929. w. THORMANN ARTIGULATED TANK LOCOMOTIVE Fiied Dec. 14, 1926 lh venfor h i/be/m fhormann Affy.

Patented Dec. 24, 1929 UNETED STATE PATENT ()FFICE ARTICULATED TANK LOCOIVIGTIVE Application filed December 14, 1926, Serial No. 154,755, and in Germany Detober 9, 1926.

My invention relates to locomotives and more especially to the kind of locomotives called articulated tank locomotives. It is an object of my invention to provide a locomotive of the kind described in which the limitations imposed by wheels of large diameter upon the area, and particularly the width of the fire box are eliminated.

In the locomotive according to my invention the wheels are removed altogether from 0 the region of the fire box and are arranged in two sets, one set being disposed below the boiler barrel in front of the fire box and carried in a frame to which the boiler is rigidly attached in the usual manner, while the other set is disposed in a bogie at the rear of the fire box and which supports part of the weight of the locomotive. Each set of wheels has cylinders of its own and constitutes a self-contained driving unit.

I am aware that ithas already been suggested to overcome the above mentioned drawback by providing a bogie in front of the smok box and another bogie to the rear of the box, both bogies being pivoted to a rigid frame to which the boiler is attached and being provided each with two or more steam cylinders, both sets of cylinders being connected with the boiler by articulated steam pipe lines. In this known type which I comprises two bogies, the length of the locomotive is increased to such an extent that in many cases special arrangements had to be made on the line in order to enable such locomotives to negotiate its tracks. The length of a locomotive of such kind is about twice that of a normal tank locomotive of equal performance and in consequence of this excessive length the normal sheds and turntables are too small. In some cases it has even become necessary to widen tunnels or to increase the pitch of the tracks in a double-track line in order to make room for the consider able lateral deviation from the line of the track of the long rigid frame intermediate the pins of the bogies.

According to my invention the drawbacks of this system are overcome without sacrificing any of its advantages by providing a. bogie so with a complete driving mechanism including two or more cylinders only at the rear of the fire box, this bogie comprising those wheels which, if arran ed in the vicinity of the fire box, would owing to their large diameter put a limitation on its size. Those wheels of the locomotive which are arranged below its boiler are carried in a rigid frame of the usual type to which. the boiler is attached, and all the wheels of this set are arranged in front of the fire box so that the space allotted to the plies on the locomotive.

As in this system it is not practicable to arrange the boiler on its frame so as to place the centre of gravity of the locomotive in the desired position, the proper distribution of weights is obtained by providing balance weights of heavy metals at suitable points of the locomotive or the bogie or by constructing parts of the system with dimensions beyond the size required by the strength of the materials.

Proper distribution of weight may also be obtained or promoted by suitable arrange ment of the tanks or bunkers. For instance, a separate tank may be arranged in front of the smoke box, or the usual side tanks may be extended beyond the front end of the smoke box.

In the drawings afiixed to this specification and forming part thereof a twenty-wheeled locomotive of the type described is illustrated diagrammatically by way of example.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is the boiler barrel which is supported on a rigid frame 2 of well known construction. The frame comprises a four-wheeled leading bogie the wheels of which are indicated at I, a pair of 9 drivers and a pair of coupled wheels indicated at II, and a pair of trailing wheels indicated at III. The cylinders 8 of this 4- 42 unit are secured to the frame intermediate the bogie wheels in the usualmanner and it will appear that the trailing pair of wheels III, the diameter of which is small, is arranged in front of the fire box 3 and the ash tray 4.

6 is a pin at the rear end of the frame 2 beyond the fire box 3, this pin forming a pivot for the bogie 5. The arrangement of wheels in this bogie is the same as in the frame 2 but is reversed, that is, it constitutes a 244 unit comprising a pair of leading wheels IV, a pair of drivers and a pair of coupled wheels indicated at V and a four-wheeled trailing bogie VI. This 2 l4 unit is acted upon by cylinders 7 to which steam is supplied by an articulated pipe line, while the supply line for the cylinders 8 of the 4c42 unit is designed after the manner of the usual rigid connections. The two pipe lines are not shown as they do not constitute a part of the invention, but their arrangement will be understood by any expert.

The water and coal supplies are carried in tanks and bunkers 9, 10 on the ri id frame 2 and in a bunker or tank, or a. combined bunker and tank 11 on the frame 5 of the bogie. The side tanks 10 may be extended as indicated in dotted lines.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to any particular number of wheels or to any particular arrangement of such wheels nor to any other details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications Will occur to a person skilled in the art.

I claim 1'. An articulated locomotive comprising a set of wheels arranged in a rigid frame adjacent one end of the fire box and a set of wheels arranged in a bogie frame adj acent the other end of the fire box and pivoted to said rigid frame, separate driving mechanism operatively connected with each set of wheels, a pair of trailing carrying wheels in said rigid frame and a pair of leading carrying wheels in said bogie frame, a boiler carried on said rigid frame, and a fire box extending downwardly from said boiler intermediate said trailing and leading pairs of wheels.

2. An articulated locomotive comprising a set of wheels arranged in a rigid frame adj acent one end of the fire box and a set of wheels arranged in a bogie frame adjacent the other end of the fire box and pivoted to said rigid frame, separate driving mechanism operatively connected with each set of wheels, a

boiler carried on said rigid frame, a fire box extending downwardly from said boiler intermediate the said sets of wheels and side tanks arranged on said rigid frame and extended beyond the smoke box of said boiler.

3. An articulated locomotive comprising a set of wheels arranged in a rigid frame adjacent one end of the fire box and a set of wheels end of the-fire box and pivoted to said rigid frame, separate driving mechanism operatively connected with each set of wheels, a boiler carried on said rigid frame, a fire box extending downwardly from said boiler intermediate the said sets of wheels and a supply container arranged in front of the smoke box of said boiler.

41:. An articulated locomotive comprising a set of wheels arranged in a rigid frame adjacent one end of the fire box and a set of wheels arranged in a bogie frame adjacent the other end of the fire box and pivoted to said rigid frame, separate driving mechanism operatively connected with each setof wheels, a boiler carried on said rigid frame, a fire box extending downwardly from said boiler intermediate the said sets of wheels and a load arranged in front of the smoke box of said boiler.

5. An articulated locomotive comprising a main frame on wheels, an auxiliary frame on wheels pivoted to one end of said main frame for lateral pivotal motion and a boiler on said main frame, the fire box of said boiler extending into the gap defined by vertical planes extending tangentially to the rear wheels of said main frame and the front wheels of said auxiliary frame.

6. An articulated locomotive comprising a main frame on wheels, an auxiliary frame on wheels pivoted to one end of said main frame for lateral pivotal motion and a boiler on said main frame, the fire box of said boiler extending into the gap between the rear wheels of said main frame and the front wheels of said auxiliary frame.

7. An articulated locomotive comprising a main frame on wheels, an auxiliary frame on wheels pivoted to one end of said main frame for lateral pivotal motion, separate driving mechanism associated with each frame and a boiler on said main frame, the fire box of said boiler extending into the gap defined by vertical planes extending tangentially to the rear wheels of said main frame and the front wheels of said auxiliary frame.

8. In a double section or bi-partite articulated locomotive having a trailing steam bogie and a boiler frame, the rear end of which is carried on said bogie, with the boiler so arranged on said frame that the fire box and the ash pan depend below said boiler frame to the rear of its rear wheels so that the sides of the fire box and ash pan are clear of the rear wheels, the combination, with said boiler frame, of Wheels rigidly supported therein.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WILHELM THORMANN. 

